Lubricating device for car wheels and tracks



May 1930.

R. B. UMHOLTZ ET AL LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR CAR WHEELS AND TRACKS Filed Dec. 20, 192 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVKNTORS ATTOR N EY May 6, 1930. R. B. UMHOLTZ E L LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR CAR WHEELS AND TRACKS Filed Dec. 20. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 a 12.3. U223 aifz znyflawz,

ATTO R N EY May 6, 1930. UMHOLTZ ET AL 1,757,402

LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR CAR WHEELS AND, TRACKS Fiied Dec. 20. 1927 a Sheets-Sheet a ATTORNEY Patented may b, 1930 I III ED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT-B. 'UMHOLTZ AND RAYMOND A. BIRMINGHAM, OF BUENA VISTA, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE AMERICAN VALVE AND METER COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI,

OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR CAR. WHEELS AND TBAOKS Application filed December 20, 1927. Serial No. 241,437.

rails of a track on curves and other places Where it is necessary to grease the rails.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for holding the lubrlcatin material under pressure so that it will be GJBC'CGfl as soon as a. valve is opened by the wheel of a train striking a plunger connected w1th the valve.

A further object of the inventionis to provide hand operated means ,for forcing. lllbllf is eating material into the tank where the mate be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing our invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a section on line 11 ofFigure 2. 530 Figure 2 is a verticalsectional view with parts in elevation.

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan View of one of the units attached to a rail. p

' Figure 4 is a section on 1ine4:,4="of Figure 3'. V 7

In these views,1'indicates a number of blocks or castings bolted to the rail 2 by the bolts 3, each block being formedwit-h a cylindrical chamber 3', an inlet port 4 which 'is in communication with the chamber and with a discharge passage 5 which is connected by passages 5 with a nozzle-like passage 6 formed in the ball or'head of the rail to be greased. The passages 5 for connecting the discharge passage 5 of the nozzle 6 maybe formed in any desired manner, Figure 1 showing a part in the web of the rail and parts formed between the fish plate 2 and the rail by a lead filling 18 and a lead filling or gasket being placed between the block and the rail.

-on a concrete base 25 sunk in the ground ad- A threaded nipple '2' is'formed on the under side of each block and is in alignment with the chamber and a cap8 is threadedto the nipple.

A plunger is arranged in the chamber and comprises a head 9, a stem 10 which passes through the nip le into the cap and has its I lower end threa ed to receive-the nuts 11 and a piston 12 which is arranged in the upper end of the passage. A perforated valve 13 'is arranged on the stem and is located in the lower part of the chamber and sleeves 14 are arranged on the stem above and below the valve, the lower sleeve abutting one of the nuts 11 and the upper sleeve abutting a washer 15 which engages the cup washer. 16 placed under the piston 12. By this arrangement,

the valve can be adjusted on the stem by removing the cap 8 and shortening the sleeves or app ying washers-on the stem 10 between a nut 11 and the end of the lower sleeve and then adjusting the nuts 11. The head 9 is so located that it will be engaged b the wheels of a train, a portion of one wheel eingshown at B so that the plunger will be depressed and the valve 13 moved below the lower end of the discharge passage 5 so that lubricating material can ass from the chamber into the passage 5 an I thus be ejected from the passage 6 in the rail upon the flange of the wheel and thus be distributed on the rails.

A pipe 19 connects the inlet at of each chamher with a pipe 20, suitable couplings 21 being arranged in the pipes 19 and a valve 22 also being arranged in each ipe 19 to close the pipe when desired. Portions of the pipes 19 may be formed of flexible material.

The pipe 20 is connected by a pipe 23 with y the bottom of a tank 24: which is arranged jacent the track, the pipe 23 also being arranged in the ground, as shown in Figure 2. A piston 26 is arranged in the tank 24 and a piston rod 27 passes through the cover 28 of the tank and through a plate 30 which is arranged at the top of the posts 31 which have their lower ends embedded in the concrete and which are provided with the adjustable braces 32. Weights 33' are suitably fastened to the piston rod 27 and are guided an for vertical movement by the posts; Thus the lubricating material in the tank 24 is held under pressure by the weighted piston.

I An elevated supply tank 33 is connected with thelower end of the tank 24 by the pipe 34 in which is arranged a hand pump 36, a check valve 37 and a hand operated valve 38, this latter valve being arranged'between the pump and the tank.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by manipulating the handle of the pump 36,

when the valve 38 isopen, lubricating material can be forced from the tank 33 into the tank 24, and as this material enters the tank 24, it will force upwardly the piston and the weights, so that the material in the tank 24 will be held under pressure. Then the valve 38 is closed, the check valve 37 acting to prevent the material from being forced by the pressure in tank 24 into the pump. The valves 13, covering the ends of the passages 5, will prevent the material from escaping from the chambers. When a train passes over the track, however, the wheels thereof, engaging the heads of the plungers, will depress the same and thus move the valves 13 downwardly, thus uncovering the passages so that some of. the material in the chainbers will 'flow through the passages 5, 5'

and 6 against the flanges of the Wheels and 1 thus lubricating material will be distributed upon the rails of the track so that both the flanges of the wheels and therails of the track will be lubricated automatically for a .train passing over the rail and a valve conconnected with the inlet port for introducing lubricating material under pressure into the chamber, a plunger in the chamber having its head extending through the upper end of the chamber so that said head will be engaged by the wheels of the train, the stem of the p unger passing through the lower end of the chamber, means on said lower end for controllingrthe stroke of the plunger and a valve on the stem arranged below the inlet port and normally covering the outlet passage due to the material exerting pressure on the head, said valve uncovering the outlet pas-- sage when the plunger is depressed.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

. ROBERT B. ULH IOLTZ. RAYMOND A. BIB L1: l'

long distance by the passage of a train over the portions of the track on which the system is placed. It will be understood thatjgeneral conditions governthe exact sizes and capacities of g each installation and by increasing the number of greaseun-its, one installation will answer for lubricatinga single, double, triple or quadruple track railroad for several miles in both directions. 7 It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of our invention will be readily apparent.

' We desire it to be understood that we may make changes-in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changesfall with- I in the scope of the appended claims.

What we claimiis:- t 1. Lubricating means for the rails of a track comprising a member adapted to be fastened to a rail and having a chamber therein and an outlet passage, means connect d with the outlet-passage for leading the lubricant to a point where it will be deposited upon a part'of the rail head and a part of the car Wheel, means for introducing lubrieating material under pressure into the chamher, a plunger in the chamber adapted to be struck and depressed by the wheels of a 

